Ban or Integrate?: I also enjoyed listening to this Seedlings podcast 113 with guest Rebecca Peterson. It includes an interesting conversation about schools’ attempts to ban laptops, smartphones, and other electronics. The conversation carries into thinking of ways we can use these as tools to engage our students rather than banning them. There is also discussion of the need to be aware that as our students face change due to new technologies, this creates the necessity for some emerging pedagogy to meet their needs. In addition, there is some practical discussion of things to consider when using iPads in the classroom.

A picture book I was reminded of after viewing Keith’s blog is a book recommended at the Oregon Reading Association Convention by children’s author George Shannon. The book, Three By The Sea by Edward Marshall, is an easy reader but has a wonderful lesson on writing a good story. Three friends at the beach each tell a story. Each one becomes more detailed, and the final story by Lolly has lots of details and is actually a bit scary. It is fun having students try their hand at “writing like Lolly!” I’ll be adding this to the list for a beginning lesson on writing next year.